SVHC Announces DAISY Award Winner Katherine Doucette, RN

BENNINGTON, VT—February 2, 2022—Katherine Doucette, RN, of the Emergency Department, was a the January recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).

“Katherine was born to be an emergency nurse,” said Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVHC’s chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. “She combines unflappable good sense and skill with compassion and sensitivity. That is just remarkable.”

Duchene presented the award during a surprise presentation in the Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) on the evening of January 13, 2022.

Doucette received three nominations from both patients and a colleague.

A colleague wrote about an instance when Doucette came in on her night off and provided care for a critically ill patient who was awaiting transfer to Dartmouth-Hitchcock. “Because the main RN was unable to leave the patient’s side, Katherine ran around looking for and getting all necessary meds and equipment. Katherine’s position was crucial… Her knowledge and fast thinking were exceptional...”

A patient nomination said, “I came in with really embarrassing symptoms, requiring even more embarrassing treatment. She was kind and compassionate, explained options, gave me choices, and normalized all of it. Nice, knowledgeable, and skillful.”

A third nomination was from the parent of a young child who was having difficulty breathing. “Katherine was both professional and compassionate in the care she provided for our son. She used humor to connect with him and gave him choices and opportunities to do things himself, so he could feel involved... When he fell asleep afterwards she check on us quietly, so he wouldn’t be disturbed. When I gave her a thumbs up to let her know all was well, I could see her smile beneath her mask.”

On having received the award during a surprise ceremony in the Emergency Department, Doucette said, “It’s very exciting. I love hearing that I made a difference in people’s day.” 

Doucette worked at SVMC in various capacities—in the nutrition and dining department, as a patient safety associate, and as an ED tech—before becoming a nurse in 2020. She received her bachelor’s in nursing from Castleton University in Vermont. She serves on the Night-Shift Council.

The DAISY Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the DAISY Foundation. It celebrates nurses’ education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the DAISY Award winner. DAISY Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. SVMC ranked fourth nationwide for the value of care it provides by the Lown Institute Hospital Index and is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. It has also received the highest marks possible from the Leapfrog Group. 

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.